Long-Term Deformation of Highway Subgrade under Coupling Effect of Traffic Load and Drying–Wetting Cycles
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 20, Issue 2
Abstract
Subgrade long-term deformation was investigated by taking the effects of both traffic load and drying–wetting cycles into consideration on the basis of numerical calculation and laboratory experiments. The total subgrade long-term settlement is composed of three parts: traffic load induced cumulative plastic deformation derived by calculated dynamic stress, deformation generated by dissipation of pore water pressure and attenuation of subgrade modulus due to drying–wetting cycles, and vertical deformation induced by weather cycles. The effects of the number of drying–wetting cycles and cycle amplitude, subgrade soil static shear strength, confining pressure, compaction degree, static constant load above the subgrade, and number of load cycles were taken into account to establish the subgrade deformation model. The layerwise summation method was also used to calculate the subgrade cumulative plastic deformation. Furthermore, a selection of computation results of the three deformation components was shown in detail and the impacts of number of load cycles, degree of compaction, subgrade depths, and the characteristics of drying–wetting cycles on the long-term deformation were discussed using the proposed model.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS, the outstanding youth fund of Hubei Province (2017CFA056), the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative (No. KFJ-STS-ZDTP-037), and the Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41472286, 41472290, and 41672312).
References
Akbulut, H., and K. Aslantas. 2005. “Finite element analysis of stress distribution on bituminous pavement and failure mechanism.” Mater. Des. 26 (4): 383–387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2004.05.017.
Baquero, V., C. Ardila, J. A. Pineda-Jaimes, and J. A. Cruz. 2017. “Numerical simulation of the role of a geocell inclusion on deformation behavior of a pavement structure laid on a fissured clayey subgrade.” In Global Partnerships for Development and Engineering Education: Proc., 15th LACCEI Int. Multi-Conf. for Engineering, Education and Technology. Boca Raton, FL: Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions.
Chai, J. C., and N. Miura. 2002. “Traffic-load-induced permanent deformation of road on soft subsoil.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 128 (11): 907–916. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2002)128:11(907).
Chen, K. S., and R. H. Zhu. 2015. “Study of the deformation characteristics for red clay under drying-wetting cycles.” In Proc., 5th Int. Conf. on Civil Engineering and Transportation. Paris: Atlantis Press.
Chen, W. B., J. H. Yin, W. Q. Feng, L. Borana, and R. P. Chen. 2018. “Accumulated permanent axial strain of a subgrade fill under cyclic high-speed railway loading.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (5): 04018018. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001119.
Chinese Standard. 1999. Standard for soil test method. GB/T50123. Beijing: Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China.
Dong, W. Z., and F. Zhu. 2018. “Research on influencing factors for permanent deformation of soil base of low embankment highway.” In Proc., Transportation Research Congress 2016: Innovations in Transportation Research Infrastructure, 364–373. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Estabragh, A. R., B. Parsaei, and A. A. Javadi. 2015. “Laboratory investigation of the effect of cyclic wetting and drying on the behaviour of an expansive soil.” Soils Found. 55 (2): 304–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2015.02.007.
Huang, M. S., J. J. Li, and X. Z. Li. 2006a. “Cumulative deformation behaviour of soft clay in cyclic undrained tests.” Chin. J. Geotech. Eng. 28 (7): 891–895.
Huang, W. X., S. Fityus, D. Bishop, D. Smith, and D. Sheng. 2006b. “Finite-element parametric study of the consolidation behavior of a trial embankment on soft clay.” Int. J. Geomech. 6 (5): 328–341. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2006)6:5(328).
Ishikawa, T., S. Miura, and E. Sekine. 2014. “Simple plastic deformation analysis of ballasted track under repeated moving-wheel loads by cumulative damage model.” Transp. Geotech. 1 (4): 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2014.06.006.
Jin, L. C., and X. G. Wang. 2016. “Finite element analysis on permanent deformation of high modulus asphalt concrete pavement.” Guangdong Highway Communications 2016 (1): 7–11.
Kettil, P., B. Lenhof, K. Runesson, and N. E. Wiberg. 2007. “Simulation of inelastic deformation in road structures due to cyclic mechanical and thermal loads.” Comput. Struct. 85 (1–2): 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2006.08.060.
Kim, M., E. Tutumluer, and J. Kwon. 2009. “Nonlinear pavement foundation modeling for three-dimensional finite-element analysis of flexible pavements.” Int. J. Geomech. 9 (5): 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2009)9:5(195).
Li, D. Q., and E. T. Selig. 1996. “Cumulative plastic deformation for fine-grained subgrade soils.” J. Geotech. Eng. 122 (12): 1006–1013. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1996)122:12(1006).
Li, D. Q., and E. T. Selig. 1998. “Method for railroad track foundation design. II: Applications.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 124 (4): 323–329. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1998)124:4(323).
Liu, J. K., and J. H. Xiao. 2010. “Experimental study on the stability of railroad silt subgrade with increasing train speed.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (6): 833–841. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000282.
Lu, Z., R. Fang, H. L. Yao, Z. Hu, and J. Liu. 2018. “Evaluation and analysis of the traffic-load-induced settlement of roads on soft subsoils with low embankments.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (6): 04018043. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001123.
Lu, Z., Z. Hu, H. L. Yao, J. Liu, and Y. X. Zhan. 2016. “An analytical method for evaluating highway embankment responses with consideration of dynamic wheel–pavement interactions.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 83: 135–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2016.01.016.
Luo, Q. Y., Y. J. Liu, H. R. Chen, and C. X. Chen. 2017. “Laboratory studies on the deformation and pore water characteristics of soft cohesive soils under low frequency traffic loads.” Soil Eng. Found. 2017 (1): 104–107.
Monismith, C. L., N. Ogawa, and C. R. Freeme. 1975. “Permanent deformation characteristics of subgrade soils due to repeated loading.” Transp. Res. Rec. 537: 1–17.
Mulungye, R. M., P. M. O. Owende, and K. Mellon. 2007. “Finite element modelling of flexible pavements on soft soil subgrades.” Mater. Des. 28 (3): 739–756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2005.12.006.
Mwanza, A. D., P. W. Hao, M. Muya, and H. W. Zhang. 2016. “Impact of dual gauge railway tracks on traffic load induced permanent deformation of low embankments.” Procedia Eng. 143: 880–887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.149.
Rasul, J. M., G. S. Ghataora, and M. P. N. Burrow. 2018. “The effect of wetting and drying on the performance of stabilized subgrade soils.” Transp. Geotech. 14: 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2017.09.002.
Romanoschi, S. A. 2017. “Empirical models for permanent deformation of subgrade soils from the data collected at the pavement subgrade performance study.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 29 (3): 04016236. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001785.
Ruan, Y., B. He, and W. P. Wu. 2018. “Study on the long-term performance of subgrade structure considering environmental and climatic factors.” In Proc., Transportation Research Congress 2016: Innovations in Transportation Research Infrastructure, 396–399. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Shen, Y., M. A. Tao, X. Wang, and W.-H. Du. 2016. “An experimental study of the deformation and strength characteristics of soft clay under principal stress axis rotation caused by traffic load.” Rock Soil Mech. 37 (6): 1569–1578.
Shen, Z. J. 2000. “Earth pressure of clay based on effective consolidation stress theory.” Chin. J. Geotech. Eng. 22 (3): 353–356.
Suiker, A. S. J., and R. D. Borst. 2003. “A numerical model for the cyclic deterioration of railway tracks.” Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng. 57 (4): 441–470. https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.683.
Tang, Y. Q., K. Sun, X. Z. Zheng, Q. Yang, and J. Zhou. 2016. “The deformation characteristics of saturated mucky clay under subway vehicle loads in Guangzhou.” Environ. Earth Sci. 75 (5): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5232-7.
Wang, F., G. Y. Li, Y. H. Mu, P. Zhang, Y. H. Wu, and S. Z. Fan. 2016. “Experimental study of deformation characteristics of compacted loess subjected to drying-wetting cycle.” Rock Soil Mech. 37 (8): 2306–2312.
Wei, X., G. Wang, and R. Z. Wu. 2017. “Prediction of traffic loading–induced settlement of low-embankment road on soft subsoil.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (2): 06016016. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000719.
Xiao, J. H., C. H. Juang, K. Wei, and S. Q. Xu. 2014. “Effects of principal stress rotation on the cumulative deformation of normally consolidated soft clay under subway traffic loading.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 140 (4): 04013046. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001069.
Zhang, Y. T., B. T. Wang, and S. Shang. 2013. “Experimental study on deformation characteristics of red clay with high liquid limit under different initial conditions.” J. Water Resour. Archit. Eng. 11 (3): 111–115.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 20 • Issue 2 • February 2020
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 6, 2018
Accepted: Jul 11, 2019
Published online: Dec 10, 2019
Published in print: Feb 1, 2020
Discussion open until: May 10, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.